# Literary Studies: The Legacy of England

"Doctor Syntax, in the middle of a smoaking hot political squabble, wishes to whet his whistle" by Thomas Rowlandson, early 19th century British cartoonist. (Image courtesy of the U.S. The Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number: LC-USZC4-3647 (color film copy transparency), part of the British Cartoon Prints Collection].)

### Instructor(s)

Prof. Stephen Tapscott

### MIT Course Number

21L.420

### As Taught In

Spring 2006

### Level

Undergraduate

###

Some Description
Instructor(s) | Prof.
As Taught In | Spring 2002
Course Number | 2.24
Level | Undergraduate/Graduate
Features | Lecture Notes, Student Work

## Course Description

## Course Features

- Assignments: written (no examples)

## Course Description

Topic: The English sense of humor. This course examines English literature across genre and historical periods. It is designed for students who want to study English literature or writing in some depth, or to know more about English literary culture and history. Students will also learn about the relationships between literary themes, forms, and conventions and the times in which they were produced. Materials include: Medieval tales, riddles, and character sketches; Renaissance lyrics and a play, 18th-century satires in words and images, 19th century irony, modern stories and film.

## Related Content

## Course Collections

See related courses in the following collections:

### Find Courses by Topic

- Literature > International Literature
- Literature > Comparative Literature
- Literature > Criticism

Stephen Tapscott. 21L.420 Literary Studies: The Legacy of England. Spring 2006. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

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